The Solve It Squad, Assembly Review

9 Aug

Written by Jacqueline for Theatre and Tonic.

Content warnings: flashing lights, drug use, death of a pet

Hot on the heels of the 2023 Fringe smash hit Ka thy and Stella Solve A Murder, there’s a new detective team in town- The Solve It Squad! After premiering on YouTube in 2017, 2024 finally sees the Edinburgh Fringe premiere of The Solve It Squad, a charming and chaotic comedy which sees a twist on the Scooby Doo tales that many of us grew up loving.

20 years after the death of his beloved dog, Cluebert, and the subsequent disbanding of the Solve It Squad, a case lands on the desk of FBI agent Scrags which is all too familiar. Finally, the gang have the chance to reunite and take down Cluebert’s killer, once and for all. They find themselves returning to the Mayberry Garden Hotel and Spa where they come face to face with a host of quirky and questionable characters, and uncover all sorts of secrets…

The Solve It Squad cast is small but mighty, starring Joey Richter as Scrags, Gabe Greenspan as Keith, Ashley Clements as Gwen and Lauren Lopez as Esther. Brian Rosenthal plays every other character, and his multi-rolling is impeccable. Due to the indisposition of Lauren Lopez, I saw Katie Wilbert in the role of Esther. Script in hand and with fewer than three hours of rehearsal, Wilbert took it in her stride, with a bit of help from her cast mates. It was truly the epitome of Fringe spirit and that the show must go on.

You could be forgiven for expecting this to be a family-friendly show, but this is not the case. In the hour-long runtime, Solve It Squad incorporates topics of grief, drug addiction and murder seamlessly, while always circling back to how even now that the squad has grown up, they can still pursue their passions.

Solve It Squad is absolutely one of the must-sees of Fringe 2024, with multiple performances already selling out. From the jaunty opening number to the big reveal of who the killer really is, the audience were hooked from start to finish. Personally I would love to see how the show could be adapted to a fuller, two-act production to allow for even more character development and plot twists and turns. If you’re looking for an evening of mystery, comedy and demonic murderers, this is 100% the show for you!